NAS Accepting Nominations for Henry Draper Medal
Neta Bahcall Princeton University
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is currently soliciting nominations for the 2017 Henry Draper Medal. First presented in 1886 and the oldest of the NAS awards, the Henry Draper Medal is awarded every four years for a "recent original investigation in astronomical physics, of importance and benefit to science to merit such recognition. ‘Recent' is defined as a major publication resulting from the investigation should have appeared since the last presentation of the award (2013)." The medal is presented with a $25,000 cash prize.
The award is named for Henry Draper, an NAS member, medical doctor, amateur astronomer, and pioneer of astrophotography. Recent recipients of the award include William Borucki (2013) for his leadership of NASA's Kepler mission, Neil Gehrels (2009) for his leadership of SWIFT and the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, and Charles Bennett (2005) for his leadership of NASA’s WMAP mission. See other past recipients on the award website.
Nominations for the 2017 Henry Draper Medal are due by 11:59 pm ET on Monday, 3 October 2016. Find the nomination requirements and learn how to submit a nomination on the NAS awards page. Please contact the NAS Draper Medal Selection Committee Chair, Neta A. Bahcall, with any questions.